


Juliet (and Love) off the Shot

by ClaireFisher



Series: Words In Between [8]
Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Episode: s02e16 Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead, F/M, Fluff, Museums, Romance, Shules, mummy - Freeform, shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26504215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireFisher/pseuds/ClaireFisher
Summary: People always told to Juliet that she was an incredible Detective. Top of her class, graduated earlier, with an impressive background. And, if she was being honest, she too believed that the amount of hard work she put in sharpening her skills and abilities gave her the right to pride herself on her own good fame.But Juliet O'Hara never thought she would miss a shot.Episode 02x16: Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead
Relationships: Juliet O'Hara/Shawn Spencer
Series: Words In Between [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817497
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Juliet (and Love) off the Shot

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I'm back with another fanfic part of the series Words In Between, which consist of extensions of my short stories posted in my multi-chap fic All Seasons With You :)
> 
> This one was a request made by the sweet pie Montecristo23! She set me this prompt:
> 
> "When Gus looks at the video cameras, while Shawn is trying to pass undetected, what if Juliet walked in the Camera control room and saw and heard (because of the phone call through Gus' phone ) him talking with the woman in charge of the Museum." 
> 
> With that idea in mind, this fic was born! Again, I can't thank you enough for your support and encouragement and, honestly, it's been a blast writing your ideas down! I hope this fits your expectations! <3
> 
> This piece is more Jules' centered and I tried to bring up this culminating point when Juliet realized she might be really falling in love with Shawn and how that perception changes their entire relationship in season 3, presenting us with a more open Ms. O'Hara, the whole banter between her and Shawn and the increase of their flirtations, along with some moments of "serious Shawn" to enlight our hearts!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this little piece and please, leave a comment, suggestion, or anything else you feel like! I love to read your opinions and the feedback is always appreciated <3

Walking at a rushed pace, Juliet tried to keep up with a cranky Lassiter, who she supposed had missed out on some cups of coffee on their way there. Sure, she too was drenched from the preceded week, submitted to that many hours of countless paperwork and three stakeouts. Juliet couldn’t say that she was cheering happy either at being woken up in the middle of the night to go check on a crime scene report that sounded more like the plot of a fantasy movie than an actual felony. 

Still, that didn’t give Carlton the right to ignore her or use his harsh tone, barking his questions without much patience and ignoring all complaints of the woman in charge of the museum, who the Junior Detective felt in the position to back up as her partner kept treating the lady’s report of crime as a made-up bedtime story. 

Again, that whole ordeal seemed a little unbelievable if Juliet was being completely candid, but Ms. Sophie Bridgewell was certain that there was more to that robbery than the police could explain and, the Detective being around “superhuman” if you can put that way, events as much as she was, couldn’t despise the assistant curator’s deposition. The woman wanted someone with supernatural abilities, someone who could explain how a mummy could be carried within 15 seconds out of the building without the culprit being caught at the security footage. 

An image crossed Juliet’s mind briefly, so fast she almost missed it but, as the woman pointed at a photo, gloriously set in front of the dinosaur’s head they, well, precisely Shawn and Gus, had found a couple of months ago, she was sure who had intruded her thoughts.

Juliet couldn’t conceal her smile, caused both by the victory over her bitter partner and the smug pose of that man who never left her alone, despite all her efforts to keep him away, being in her dreams, in her thoughts or at the stations, flashing his mischievous grin at her and infuriating every single cop whiting a 20 miles radius, especially Lassiter, with whom Shawn had a unique bond and a way to bring out the man’s deepest rage and hatred, all the while making people around him laugh discreetly.

Grinning widely, Jules pressed the call button to Shawn’s cellphone, so fast he could only be on her speed dial. Inside, her heart skipped a beat or two and she found herself very excited to hear his voice on the other end of the line. The voice she longed daily to echo through the walls of the Police Department, signing that the loud and joyful psychic was there, either to give his assistance or to any other business such as collect his paycheck, disturb the Chief until she gave him a case or simply to hang out around the place, occasionally bringing her lunch or a pineapple smoothie. The voice she listened through her phone, some nights, when they watched movies together over the line or he called to tell her about one of his crazy dreams or just to annoy her with some suggestive comments, much like he was doing right now.

Not that she cared much about it. 

It didn’t arouse a thousand butterflies in her stomach.

Not even a single lonely one.

And, if she giggled at his gibberish and ridiculous assumptions over the phone, Juliet didn’t admit it. And if, later, while she stood by Shawn’s side, looking at his plaque, with pride and joy in her eyes and a little unbalanced by his cologne’s scent, she didn't admit it either.

It was Shawn. 

No way she would let herself be deceived by his flirtatious nature or the flattering, yet sometimes inappropriate, comments he often showered her with. 

So why was her heart constricted to a painful level when he said she had her shot?

Shot?

What shot?

To go out with him? 

To be the center of his attention? 

To experience the art of Spencer seduction?

And why, suddenly, Juliet couldn’t help the burning sensation at the pit of her stomach each time she glanced at the museum assistant curator who she, not thirty minutes prior, was backing up? 

So Shawn loved that Sophie woman, metaphorically speaking of course. 

What that had to do with her?

Nobody ever talked about love. 

What she had with Shawn was nothing more than a weird but amazing friendship, and that occasional flirting that happened between them. 

But they were just being friendly right? That didn’t mean anything. 

He didn’t love her and Juliet most certainly didn’t love him either.

So… No problem there. 

Still, she couldn’t help but hold her breath at each time Shawn’s hand came near the vicinity of that woman’s body, or that smile of his opened to someone that wasn’t her. Or the way he shamefully displayed himself in front of everyone, almost comically, just to get Sophie’s attention, making Juliet give him pitiful looks all the while she fought hard to mask the blush threatening to color her cheeks as she gazed at her friend’s body with careful inspection. 

But once their eyes crossed briefly, and she was almost sure Shawn had caught her staring, Juliet realized it was enough and time to put herself together, so she proceeded with her work, struggling to believe in Shawn’s newfound theory regarding the stolen mummy while she kept forcing inside her head the thought that she should remain professional and collected.

Later that day, after three cups of coffee, a forty minutes nap during her lunch break, and a donut she sneaked from the hookie’s downstairs breakroom, Juliet was ready to go back to the museum, to finish collecting some statements and to retrieve needed files and the remaining security tapes requested by Lassiter.

Decided that she would be impenetrable and wouldn’t let Shawn’s comment wash over her, Juliet walked confidently through the glass doors of the museum, guided, by an employee, towards the security room where she was guaranteed she would find the requested documentation. 

Easy. 

A short trip.

Complete her task and head back to the station.

But nothing in her life was simple, nor easy, and Juliet, once more, found herself in a dead trap once she approached the room and found Gus sitting at the security’s chair, cellphone resting at the table while he checked the monitors attached to the surveillance cameras. 

At first thought, Juliet decided to just make herself be noticed and enter the room, inquiring Gus about what he was doing there and retrieve the manila folders resting at the corner of the large wooden surface. 

But, as a familiar voice caught her attention, Juliet found herself frozen in her step, just by the door. 

That voice.

Of course. 

Wherever Gus was, Shaw would be not five inches behind, snooping his nose where it didn’t belong. 

Juliet slapped herself mentaly at her naïvity and, moved by her curiosity rather than by the previous praised professionalism, she hid behind a wall, close to the door, from where she wouldn't be noticed but had a clear vision of the monitor and an advantage point to listen to the voices coming from the hushed conversation between Gus and Shawn.

It didn’t take much for her to realize what they were doing and she had to suppress, more than once, the laugh bubbling in her heart at how comically Shawn was trying to prove his point. 

And there, standing with her body pressed against the wall while she watched his "methods" of case-solving, Juliet started to question if she found it utterly ridiculous or completely cute. 

She lost track of how long she remained there, the numbness on her legs easily ignored at the sight of those stupidly amusing images of Shawn hiding behind the worst spots a person could ever pick, causing her to bend slightly, belly hurting from the suppressed giggles.

All those considerations were long gone though, when she spotted the figure of Ms. Bridgewell at the monitor, standing in front of Shawn, her fluttering lashes, which Juliet couldn't see from that distance and size of screen, but that she bet it were blinking adoringly at the psychic. The black and white image preventing the Detective from confirming the blush she was one hundred percent sure Sophie carried in her cheeks.

The morning’s rage returned and along with it the burning words of Shawn. 

_ You had your shot. _

Had she missed it? 

And, most importantly, why did she care so much?

From her place she could listen to Gus, indignation flooding his voice and what she bet it was his disbelief frown, even if she couldn't see it, painted all over his face. 

“Great, now I gotta watch this?”

Juliet couldn't listen to Shawn’s response but, even through the pixelated image, she could picture his mischievous smug grin, staring at the camera while he held his cellphone in one of his hands while the other was shoved inside his front pocket. 

“You’re muting me? For the first interesting thing that’s happened?”

But the retort never came and, while Gus mocked his best friend, clearly annoyed for being left out, Juliet stifled the mix of feelings overflowing her heart with such force the Junior Detective was grateful for the wall bracing her weight.

At first, a wave of rage heated her body. 

That dang smile! And, how dare he flirt with other women when he did that with her too? 

Why should she have to sustain his insufferable shenanigans and comments if there was nothing to gain in the end?

Then, the conspicuous jealousy made its appearance, causing Juliet to nurture the deepest aversion to that woman who couldn’t be blamed for anything rather than falling into Shawn’s charming graces. Not long ago she was there defending Sophie and now she couldn’t envy someone more than she did right now. 

But when Juliet spotted Shawn’s hand at Sophie’s back, resting just around her waist, she felt utterly defeated. A heartbreaking pain that both surprised and destroyed her. 

Because Shawn Spencer was simply her friend, the psychic consultant, the immature man who annoyed and mesmerized everyone around him. 

She shouldn't be suffering, shouldn't be breaking and as tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, Juliet had to laugh at herself, feeling completely stupied and ashamed for allowing herself to crumble over a guy who clearly wasn’t meant for her and that, apparently, had no more interests in her.

_ You had your shot _

And despite how good of a cop she was, Juliet missed it. 

“Juliet?”

Brought back to reality at the sound of her name, the young woman shook her head in a fair attempt to vanish with all considerations her mind was dwelling at, spotting the fading image of Shawn with his arm around Sophie, disappearing inside another section of the museum and, metaphorically, out of her grasp. 

Instantly, Juliet felt her cheeks warm, crimson climbing up her neck at the inquiring eyes of Gus, who looked at her clueless on why she was standing there, watching him "surveil” his best friend. 

“Oh! Huh... Hi Gus. H-How are you?”

Crooking one eyebrow up, the man watched her be, standing awkwardly while she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, clearly uncomfortable for being caught red-handed. 

“I’m doing fine. What are  _ you _ doing here, though? Were you spying on me?”

His arms came to cross above his chest and Juliet felt even more timid under Gus’ presence, something she never thought it would happen. 

“W-what? Nooo! I-I came to pick up some files…”

“In the security room?”

She nodded, not sure if she could muster words, all the while scolding herself at how shamefully she was acting around a guy who prided himself from being more mature than Shawn, which clearly was an unfair comparison.

Fast she spotted the manila files, resting atop of the table and without wasting more time, pointed at it, already moving inside the room to retrieve the requested papers and wishing to part as soon as possible and praying to avoid any questions coming from Gus, who still had that suspicious expression painted on his face. 

Grasping the papers, she lifted them to Gus’ eye level, trying to convey confidence and assurance at her previous statement.

“See? Carlton sent me here to pick those.”

“Oh! Okay then.”

He shrugged his shoulders, clearly satisfied with her answer and Juliet couldn’t be more thankful for his obviousness. 

She knew she should probably be the one inquiring Gus about why he and Shawn were there in the first place, when the police had already cleared the cameras and inspected some of the surveillance tapes, but, still a little ashamed and dying to get out of there, Juliet decide to turn blind eyes at her friend’s dubious acts. 

“Well, I should go now. Bye Gus.”

Before he could say anything else or ask her further questions, Juliet was gone, walking fast and heading towards the exit doors with one main focus to avoid anything and anyone, especially Shawn, who had this annoying ability to materialize himself in the worst possible moments. 

Juliet couldn't deal with him right now.

Not when her mind was too clouded by her mixed feelings.

Not when she was starting to realize that, perhaps, just maybe, she was falling a tiny little bit in love with Shawn. 

Little did she know that, in the depths of the museum, while he was still trying to solve the case, Shawn couldn't shake the image of Sophie’s pink sweater from the night they met, how it inevitably made him remember that Jules had the exact same one among her clothweare. 

And not that he was ready to admit it to anyone, not even for himself, that the pink sweater looked a thousand times better on the Junior Detective than on Sophie and that, perhaps, him asking the assistant’ curator out had much more relation with the constant denial of his invitations and flirtatious comments from the mentioned blond woman than because he was actually interested in Sophie. 

But again, he wasn’t going to acknowledge it. 

At least not yet.

Not when there was a chance of him completely losing his mind at the thought that perhaps, just maybe, that little act he pulled, the words he let fly out of his mouth earlier, had pushed Jules aways for good. 

_ You had your shot. _

Well done, Shawn.

Just great.

Maybe now he had just messed up his chance, if he ever had one.

He wouldn’t mind if it was anyone else.

But it was Jules. 

And there, while he tried to dodge the security cameras and to reveal the mystery behind that missing mummy, Shawn couldn't shake the newfound resolution in his heart. 

He was willing to fight.

When it comes to Jules, there was no giving up. 

All shots were hers.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Also, I was rereading my previous post for this series "Shawn and Juliet: a Fashion-Foward" and I caught some spelling mistakes. I would like to sincerely apologize for it and inform you that I already went back and corrected them! ;)


End file.
